Onslaught Cloud
When courage is smoke,
and it takes far too much effort
to build a mound to stop the flood,
when fears and the bleeding winds of reality
destroy the indestructible diamond, turn it
into dust particles, lapped up
by the tongues of unsuspecting animals,
and the storm, it digs a wound like a valley,
red and brutal,
when that happens, it is time to sleep, dream
of better days, watch TV, read and listen to other people’s stories,
bury your battle-slain heart under the covers and wait
for meaning.
Meaning when found will restore courage,
soothe the raw chasm, give faith in the setting sun
and maybe even
press up against you, thundering,
a glorious beauty.
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Copyright © 2020 by Allison Grayhurst
amazon.com/author/allisongrayhurst
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First published in “Medusa’s Kitchen” September 2020
http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/2020/08/birds-of-flame.html
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Published in “The Academy of The Heart and Mind” October 2020
https://academyoftheheartandmind.wordpress.com/2020/10/20/world-away-and-other-poems/
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You can listen to the poem by clicking below: